


A motivating factor

by skeilig



Series: I know a guy [3]
Category: Barry (TV 2018), IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Comedy, Crack Crossover, Gen, M/M, Money laundering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skeilig/pseuds/skeilig
Summary: “Hey, Eds,” Richie says, a little confused by the intense reaction. “It’s gonna be fine. I mean, Hank said he was out of the business anyway. It’s just his family.”“No, Richie, I…” Eddie stammers. “I know that guy.”Richie– freezes. “You what?”Or, Eddie wasn't entirely truthful about his own background.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, NoHo Hank/Richie Tozier
Series: I know a guy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930762
Comments: 15
Kudos: 93





	A motivating factor

**Author's Note:**

> This is the 3rd installment in a series where Blissymbolics and I are writing an increasingly batshit It/Barry crossover at each other. Go back to the beginning if you haven't read it yet.

At ten to eight, a black Suburban with tinted windows pulls up outside of Richie’s apartment. 

Richie and Eddie have been standing watch by their living room window for the past few minutes, the atmosphere not unlike that of waiting for a sentence to be read. 

“Okay,” Richie says when he spots the car. “That’s Hank.” 

He turns to Eddie, smiling grimly. Eddie reaches up to smooth out the wrinkled collar of Richie’s shirt. When he’s done, he pulls back with a single firm pat to Richie’s chest. 

“I guess I should say… be safe?” Eddie says, grimacing a little. “Feels appropriate.” 

“Wanna take some prom photos of us before we leave?” Richie jokes. 

Eddie rolls his eyes fondly. “They grow up so fast.” 

“Okay, well, I better get going,” Richie says with a solemn nod. “Tonight’s not the night I lose my kneecaps.” 

Sure enough, Richie’s phone starts buzzing in his pocket. He gets a couple texts from Hank in quick succession:

_Just arrived outside your place._

_Cute place by the way!_

_I am in black Chevy parked across the street._

_Hope you’re ready to party!_

This accompanied by a string of salsa dancer emojis. 

“Okay, Jesus,” Richie mutters, silencing his vibrating phone. “This guy’s clingy. I forgot about that. I really better go.” 

He throws another glance out the window at the car, idling ominously across the street. 

At that moment, the driver side window rolls down but the driver is… definitely not Hank. It’s a much beefier guy, with a bald head, shaved and stubbled, a dark gray beard, and a tattoo curling around the side of his thick neck. He wears dark sport sunglasses. 

Eddie goes a little pale. “Oh shit.”

“Well, that’s not Hank,” Richie says, squinting. “Wait, I think– Oh, he’s in the passenger side. Okay. This should be fun. A date with a mobster with another, scarier mobster chaperoning us.” 

Eddie turns from the window pulling at his own hair. “Shit, shit, fuck.”

“Hey, Eds,” Richie says, a little confused by the intense reaction. “It’s gonna be fine. I mean, Hank said he was out of the business anyway. It’s just his family.”

“No, Richie, I…” Eddie stammers. “I know that guy.” 

Richie– freezes. “You what?” 

Eddie gestures wildly back at the window. “I _know_ that guy! The other guy in the car!” 

“Uh.” Richie chuckles awkwardly. “I mean. How so? Did you buy a bluetooth ear piece from him at a sketchy electronics store?” 

“No, no,” Eddie says, shaking his head. He takes a deep breath. “Back in New York, I didn’t work for an insurance company. I was a money launderer.” 

Richie barks a laugh, but Eddie’s face doesn’t even twitch, staring at him with his brows holding a straight line. “Oh,” Richie says, the smile fading from his own face. “Oh, you’re serious. What? You were in with the mob, too?” 

Eddie waggles one hand, the nonverbal gesture for: _sorta_. 

Richie’s eyes go wide. “Holy shit. What the fuck? You acted so shocked about my thing! And you!” He makes a frantic gesture that broadly sums it up. 

“Well, I didn’t sleep with any of them!” Eddie protests. 

“Yeah, and I didn’t commit any crimes!” Richie fires back. “Holy shit!” 

Richie’s phone is still buzzing in his pocket every couple of seconds, but he ignores it in favor of this new information. Eddie paces the living room, shaking out his hands. He hasn’t been this anxious since before his divorce was finalized. 

“So, like,” Richie ventures. “Did you… Are you out? Now?” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie says, nodding hurriedly. His tone of voice is weird and tense. “Now I’m out.” 

“Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?” Richie says, grinning a little despite everything. “Maybe because you kept your shady past hidden from me for months? This is really breaking the trust between us, Eds.” 

“Okay.” Eddie stops pacing and turns to face Richie. “So, I am out—sort of—but I, um… ghosted them? You could say?” 

Richie stares. “You ghosted… the mob?” 

“Yeah, I ghosted the mob,” Eddie snaps. 

“Wait, is that why you were so eager to move in with me?” Richie asks, and he’s laughing, but something in his heart splinters. “You were trying to flee your life of crime?” 

“Well, I mean, it was a motivating factor,” Eddie says, dryly. 

Richie’s heart splinters a bit further. “Oh.” 

“And– love!” Eddie says quickly. “Obviously.”

“So…” Richie’s phone is still blowing up. He glances at the screen to see the most recent text from Hank: _Not a good idea to stand me up, Richie!_ “This fucking guy,” Richie mutters. “It’s still before eight.” He replies, _Be right down_ , slips his phone in his pocket and looks back at Eddie. “Okay. I guess we need to put this life-altering conversation on hold for a few hours.”

“Yeah,” Eddie says, nodding. “You’ll be fine. I’ll keep track of your location–” He lifts his phone, where he has Find My iPhone opened, the blue dot still centered over their apartment, “–and if anything happens you text me.”

“Oh yeah, foolproof plan,” Richie says sarcastically. “As long as they don’t separate me from my phone I’ll be fine.”

“Hey,” Eddie snaps, “don’t make me _more_ freaked out about this. You’re the one who said it was just a ‘chill hangout’ at ‘Rushan’s place.’”

“It is,” Richie assures him. “They probably have no idea I’m dating their former money launderer who flew the coop.”

Eddie blanches, going stiff and nonreactive as Richie ducks in to give him a parting forehead kiss. 

“See ya later, Eds!” Richie calls over his shoulder as he heads out the door. “Don’t wait up.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is an Ozark AU now I guess? I dunno, I had to up the ante somehow. Good luck, Bliss. I eagerly await the next installment.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Insurance Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26898457) by [avocadomoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avocadomoon/pseuds/avocadomoon)




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